Slide 1
26/08/2015Margaret McKay, subject specialist (accessibility
& inclusion) Jisc Scotland
Margaret McKay, subject specialist (accessibility &
inclusion) Jisc ScotlandFree enabling technologies
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Free enabling technologies:Because little things can make a big
difference 26/08/2015
Photograph with kind permission of Susan Wakefield
GibbonsIntroduction
Little things can make a big difference Margaret McKay
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3Traditional Approaches versus Enabling technologiesListen to a
lectureRead printed informationTake notes, understandor rememberGet
feedbackGet testedNowLaterReplay itPause itComplete itOn phoneOn
tabletListen to textCritique itCollaborate on responsesCreate
videoIn audioAs a visual representationPersonalise how it looks to
make it easier for me to readAdapted from Alistair McNaught
Jisc
Technology allows us to build significantly on those traditional
elements. If a presentation is saved as a video the learner can
pause it, rewind, critique it, collaborate with others on responses
etc. If the presentation is as a PowerPoint it could be unfinished
and learners have to complete it, reorganize it, add slides to
justify or expand sections etc. Similarly instead of writing notes
the learner might be invited to create a video in response to the
presentation or make a pod cast, mind map or interactive quiz.
Instead of reading printed materials, learners can read materials
on screen or on a tablet which would enable them to change font
size, type or colour and even use text-to-speech tools in order to
listen to the printed material. Learners could read printed
material and convert it to a mind map or use the source material to
make their own learning resource for other learners. By introducing
even quite simple technologies to the teaching mix, many more
pedagogical opportunities arise.3
Enabling Technology Timeline Free
Technologies4AccessibilityPersonalisationProductivityNow free,
often portable or web based
Moving from accessibility only to tools that are available to
everyone to assist with productivity, personalisation and are now
much more ubiquitous4
Enabling TechnologiesFree Enabling Technologies5Do you use free
or open source technologies? If so what do you use and how do you
find them?
Free and Open Source (FOSS) Enabling technology toolsDo you use
free or open source technologies? If so what do you use and how do
you find them?
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Free and Open Source (FOSS)Free Enabling Technologies6In small
groups take 3 minutes to discuss the following:What do you think
are the pros and cons of free enabling technology tools versus
commercial tools?
Free and Open Source (FOSS) Enabling technology toolsIn small
groups take 3 minutes to discuss the followingWhat do you think are
the pros and cons of free enabling technology tools versus
commercial tools?
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Free & simple strategiesWindows ease of access,Built in text
to speech,Free enabling technologies (downloadable and web
based),Enhancing your browser.Free Enabling Technologies7
Windows ease of access,Built in text to speech,Free enabling
technologies (downloadable and web based),Enhancing your
browser.7
Apple Universal Access
Free Enabling Technologies8www.apple.com/accessibility/osx/
Windows Ease of AccessFree technologies
9Keyboard shortcut from the login screen in Windows 7 - windows
button + U
U
Change the things you want to change (magnifier, onscreen
keyboard, high contrast or narrator)
Wizard allows you to let windows suggest settings and provide
you with specific options or a range of options.
Making your computer easier to see high contrast theme, turn on
narrator or audio description of videos (if available), make text
largerMaking your computer easierMagnifier,On screen
keyboard,Narrator,High Contrast,Speech recognition,Explore all
settings - Windows accessibility wizards.
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Windows Speech Recognition
Free Technologies10Find out:what it is, how it works,learn how
to set it up.
http://tiny.cc/SpeechRecog
Windows Speech RecognitionFind out what it is, how it works and
learn how to set it up
http://tiny.cc/SpeechRecog
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Making the most of Microsoft Text to speech sits in the Quick
Access Toolbar(works with Word, PowerPoint and Outlook)11Text to
speech in Office
How to guides:
http://tiny.cc/quickaccessTTS and
http://tiny.cc/QA-TTS-Video
Free technologies
Audio SupportText to speech in Office 2010 (works with Word,
PowerPoint and Outlook)How to guides: http://tiny.cc/quickaccessTTS
http://tiny.cc/QA-TTS-Video
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Activity (5 minutes)Free Technologies12Try adding text to speech
on the Microsoft Office Quick Access Toolbar. Once you have done
this add or copy/paste some text into a word document and read it
out using the TTS featureUse one of the following how to guides to
help you.
http://tiny.cc/quickaccessTTS http://tiny.cc/QA-TTS-Video
Try adding text to speech on the Microsoft Office Quick Access
Toolbar. Once you have done this select some text in a word
document and read it out using the TTS feature.Use one of the
following how to guides to help you.
http://tiny.cc/quickaccessTTS http://tiny.cc/QA-TTS-Video
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Activity: Add speak to your quick access toolbar Next to the
Quick Access Toolbar, click Customize Quick Access Toolbar.Click
More Commands.In the Choose commands from list, select All
Commands.Scroll down to the Speak command, select it, and then
click Add.Click add and the feature will be added.
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S13
MyStudyBar Free Technologies 14http://eduapps.org/
EduApps consists of eight useful software collections that are
free for you to download and use.All EduApps collections can run
from a USB pendrive plugged into a Windows computer. They dont need
administrative rights to install. Therefore, they offer a portable,
personal solution with you wherever you go.Please note, the EduApps
suite including MyStudyBar is designed to run on a Windows PC.
There is no Apple Mac version.
For a full list of Apple Mac portable apps visit the FreeSmug
Site.
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Planning tools
XMind mind mapping tool
Find out more about Xmind
Case study using free mind mapping softwareFree Technologies
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Planning tools -Sticky notes, Portable Calendar. Xmind mind
mapping tool.
Mind mapping view different themes before or during. Click on
central topic enter subtopic tab. Save as html then add .doc15
Reading tools
Screen tintsT-Bar*RapidsetssOverlay
Screen rulerVu-Bar
Text to speechOrato*
Using orato in examsFree Technologies 16
Screen tintsT-Bar*RapidsetssOverlay
Screen rulerVu-Bar
Text to speechOrato*
Using orato in exams
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Writing tools
Word prediction
Portable dictionary
Touch typing
Spellchecker
Balabolka Text to MP3*
Free Technologies 17
Writing tools
Word prediction,Portable dictionaryTouch
typing,Spellchecker,Text to MP3.-17
Free and easy to use technologies such as Balabolka will produce
mp3/audio versions of text based information e.g. this information
is also available as an audio filehttp://tiny.cc/Balabolka Provide
Information in Alternative Formats
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Creating accessible information
18Long document about supporting people with disabilities with
long screeds of text is more ironic than useful on the other
hand
Free and easy to use technologies such as Balabolka will produce
mp3/audio versions of text based information this information is
also available as an audio
filehttp://www.jisctechdis.ac.uk/tbx/balabolka
Vision tools
Magnification
Mouse/cursor ring
Screen readerFree Technologies 19
Vision tools
Magnification
Mouse/cursor ring
Screen reader
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Click on the MyStudyBar folder on your desktop,Click on the
MyStudyBar application icon,
Free TechnologiesOpening MyStudyBar
Click on the MyStudyBar folder on your desktop,Click on the
MyStudyBar application icon,
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Activity (15 minutes)Free Technologies21Use a tool from
MyStudyBar and reflect on how you might use that tool with
learners
Read text back from a web page using Orato and reflect on how
you might use that tool with learners Use Balabolka to create a
short paragraph about the kinds of learners/staff who would benefit
from text to speech and save it as an MP3 file on your desktop,Use
Lingoes talking dictionary to learn the meaning of a word. Why
might this be useful and to whom?
Try adding text to speech on the Microsoft Office Quick Access
Toolbar. Once you have done this select some text in a word
document and read it out using the TTS feature.Use one of the
following how to guides to help you.
http://tiny.cc/quickaccessTTS http://tiny.cc/QA-TTS-Video
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Non Visual Desktop Access (NVDA)Listen to a student talking
about how she uses NVDA http://tiny.cc/NVDAStudent
NVDA tutorial http://tinyurl.com/howtouseNVDA
Checking web accessibility using
NVDAhttp://webaim.org/articles/nvda/ 22
Listen to a student talking about how she uses NVDA
http://tiny.cc/NVDAStudent
NVDA tutorial http://tinyurl.com/howtouseNVDA
Checking web accessibility using
NVDAhttp://webaim.org/articles/nvda/
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Enhancing your browser: Tools for independence
Title of presentation 00/00/201323
mind map - browser accessibilty in safari, firefox, opera,
chrome, internet explorer and general accessibility
guidelines.23
Reading Comfort: No Squint (Firefox)* Comfort: Theme and font
size changer (Firefox)*Speed: Spreed (Chrome) Speed: Clearly
(Chrome, Firefox and Opera) *Summarising:HeadingsMap (Firefox)
*Comprehension: Google Text to Speech (Google) *
Free Enabling Technologies24
Reading Comfort: No Squint (Firefox)* Comfort: Theme and font
size changer (Firefox)*Speed: Spreed (Chrome) Speed: Clearly
(Chrome, Firefox and Opera) *Summarising:HeadingsMap (Firefox)
*Comprehension: Google Text to Speech (Google) *
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Try them out for yourself: Links to browser based reading tools
(created using
Xerte)http://tiny.cc/NoSquinthttp://tiny.cc/TandFSChangerhttp://tiny.cc/SPREED-1
http://tiny.cc/Clearly
http://tiny.cc/HeadingsMaphttp://tiny.cc/GoogleTTS Free Enabling
Technologies25
http://tiny.cc/NoSquinthttp://tiny.cc/TandFSChangerLinks to
browser based reading toolshttp://tiny.cc/SPREED-1
http://tiny.cc/Clearly
http://tiny.cc/HeadingsMaphttp://tiny.cc/GoogleTTS
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Browser and other free tools: WritingFree Enabling
Technologies26
Voice recognition:
Voicenote 2 (Google Chrome) http://tiny.cc/VoiceNote2
Browser tools: Reading 26
RoboBraille Case Study at UWS27http://tinyurl.com/Alt-Formats
Free Enabling Technologies
Robobraille case studyhttp://tinyurl.com/Alt-Formats
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University of Kent Robobraille Pilot
Free Enabling Technologies28http://tiny.cc/KentRobobraille
Providing Information in Alternative FormatsUse free resources
such as Audacity to create audio versions of text based information
or audio guides to the services you offer.
http://tiny.cc/usingaudacity Free Enabling
Technologies29Audacity
Providing Information in Alternative FormatsUse free resources
such as Audacity to create audio versions of text based information
or audio guides to the services you offer29
Free and simple strategiesWindows ease of access,Built in text
to speech,Free enabling technologies (downloadable and web
based),Enhancing your browser.Free Enabling Technologies30
Windows ease of access,Built in text to speech,Free enabling
technologies (downloadable and web based),Enhancing your
browser.30
Accessible by Design Competition
http://tiny.cc/JiscAccessiblebDesign
Accessible by Design
Competitionhttps://www.jisc.ac.uk/rd/projects/accessible-by-design
Following the Summer of Student Innovation competitions, our latest
challenge for 2015 invites staff and/orstudentsto submit ideas
connected with this topic to help improve learning, teaching and
research.
Ideas could be tools that meet learner or organisations needs,
but will need to have the potential to benefit more than just a
single institution. In the past, we have funded an accessible
version of YouTube, accessible e-books, and mobile learning
sites.26/08/201531Title of presentation (Insert > Header &
Footer > Notes and Handouts > Header > Apply to all)
Getting Started with Accessibility and Inclusion Using assistive
and accessible technology in teaching and learning Enhancing Staff
Support for Learners with Disabilities Meeting the requirements of
all students Delivering an Inclusive Digital experience Jisc
TechDisYouTube video playlists
Guides and resourcesJisc: Supporting accessibility and
inclusion
Getting Started with Accessibility & Inclusion - What is
accessibility? What you can do to overcome barriers.Using assistive
and accessible technology in teaching and learning -A guide to the
assistive technologies that can support learners with special
educational needs.Enhancing Staff Support for Learners with
Disabilities - A guide to what different roles in an organisation
can do to support disabled learners.Delivering an Inclusive Digital
experience - Tips on enhancing the student experience
inclusively.Meeting the requirements of all students -
Understanding 'User needs' and how you can support disabled
learners.SEARCH for Jisc YouTube video playlists - Widely Available
broad based vide and screen cast advice that can be searched and
repeated for CPD.(JiscTechDis) BIS Toolbox is now hosted by HEA
http://www.toolbox.heacademy.ac.uk/
26/08/201532Title of presentation (Insert > Header &
Footer > Notes and Handouts > Header > Apply to all)
Text to speech for productivity and inclusionInclusive mobile
learningAccessibility on the run: how accessibility cuts across
different roles.Load2Learn - http://tiny.cc/load2learn Accessible
eBooks - http://tiny.cc/Access_eBooks Using free software to read
eBooks - http://tiny.cc/reading_eBooks MyStudyBar -
http://eduapps.org/ 33Jisc: Supporting accessibility and
inclusion
Creating accessible information
If you have questions:Contact:[email protected]
Mobile: 07443 984444
Skype: Margaret.Jisc
Twitter: @Mags_McKay
Except where otherwise noted, this work is licensed under
CC-BY-NC-ND26/02/2015Free Technologies 34
Contact:[email protected]
Mobile: 07443 984444
Skype: Margaret.Jisc
Twitter: @Mags_McKay
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